“Rise up, O’ you sleeper, awake. The light of the dawn is upon you.”
-Andrew Peterson
There is a case on my phone that reads: “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” And I used to think that I knew what that meant. I used to think that comfort zones were places, or people. That stepping outside of your comfort zone was doing something like trying something new, going on a grand adventure across the world, or even changing your hair color. And all of that is true. In part. But there’s something I’ve learned in the past few months that I’ve been living here in Mexico. Something that has pushed, pulled, and challenged me very much; something that I’ve grown from. And I wanted to share that with you all.
Comfort zones aren’t just people, places, and things. Comfort zones are a way of life. Comfort zones are your monotonous routine, and your strict schedule that must be followed everyday. They are the belief that everything is set in stone, that you must have everything figured out without any flexibility for changes. They are a way of thinking; a thought process of how the world is supposed to work, and where you fit into it. Comfort zones define your life, and the way you live it. Comfort zones are comforting. They allow you to live a life that is comfortable, a life that is easy, and a life that is safe.
But God does not call us to be comfortable. Actually, He calls us to be uncomfortable. He calls us to step outside of our comfort zones, to take up our cross and change our mindset, so that our sole focus is on Him. To never stop relentlessly pursuing Him and His Kingdom in a way in which our own comfort is not important. God calls us to focus on others more, and ourselves less. This is a lifestyle that makes your life not all about you, but about serving the Lord and His people. This is a lifestyle that forces you to step outside of your comfort zone. This is a lifestyle that, let me tell you, is not always comfortable. It’s actually very uncomfortable at most moments, and it’s hard most of the time. But it’s worth it. So, so worth it. And when you realize that stepping outside of your comfort zone is what it means to actually be really living for once, there is joy. And laughter, and adventure, and fun. And suddenly, every day is a new adventure that is waiting to be lived, and each person you encounter is another dearly loved child of God that is just waiting to hear about Him. So, yes, God does not call us to be in our comfort zones. But that doesn’t mean that life isn’t fun, or adventurous, or full of laughter. Actually, there’s more of all those things if we trust Him enough to rid ourselves of our comfort zones, and follow Him.
And The Lord definitely did not call us to live a life that is easy. And, let’s be honest here, a life that is easy is a life that is boring. God did not call us to live a life that is easy because nothing about the Christian walk is easy. We are called to strive to be more like Jesus in our love, in our faith, and in the way we live our lives. And there was nothing easy about the life of Jesus. He was born to a carpenter and a virgin, in a tiny little speck of a town named Bethlehem. His first bed was a feeding trough, and he spent the last years of his life walking all across his homeland, with no money and only the clothes on his back, preaching. He lived a perfect life, and was eventually crucified for a crime that he did not commit against man. And he rose from the dead, so that we may also live apart from the death and the sin that controls this world. We are given the priceless and undeserved gift of a grace that is boundless and never ending. Who are we to keep this to ourselves, to keep living our easy lives with this grace when the people around us have no idea that they can be apart of that as well? When we accept this gift of grace, we are called to live like Jesus, to honor our Father in everything we do, and to take His love to all who do not know it. And so, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are called to live an unconventional life. A life that is hard. But this life is one that brings all the glory and all the honor to our Heavenly Father; a life that is satisfying, fulfilling, full of grace, and in love. And those are the best lives of all.
Consequently, God did not call us to live a life that is safe. And I do not mean to say this to scare you, or to make you think that being a follower of Jesus means that you are going to be put into harms way or into dangerous situations. I am saying this because you might be put into harms way, or into dangerous situations, or you might not. All I know is that Jesus said “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in Hell,” (Matthew 10: 28). Jesus tells us to take up our cross, and to follow him wherever he leads. Where he leads us could be into a hostile country to preach the Gospel, or it could be to a new job in a different state to make a difference for Him in a new community. And both of these things are scary and unsafe. But Jesus says to not be afraid of the people in this world, and to keep our sole focus on him; he will make our paths straight, and he will provide for all of our needs. So, yes, we are called to live a life that is unsafe, but that does not mean we are to live in fear. It means that we are to live fearlessly, with our eyes stayed on Jesus.
These past months while living in Mexico, I’ve learned a lot about comfort zones, and what it means to be ripped from yours and thrown into the unknown. I’ve learned to never make any real plans for your next day, because one minute you could be taking a walk through the town, and the next you’re being picked up by the pastor’s wife and taken to Burger King in the city. I’ve also learned that being a mom is hard. Shout out to my mom, and all those moms out there: you all truly have the hardest job in the world. Being thrust into motherhood at only the age of eighteen with eighteen plus children to care for is pretty scary, uncomfortable, and very very hard. I’ve yelled “no mas!” more times than I’d care to admit. I’ve confiscated more pens and knick knacks from ornery children during a church service than I can count. I’ve stood in front of these kids and tried to teach them English while not really knowing what I’m doing. I’ve eaten more rice, beans, and cactus than should be legal. But I’ve been having the time of my life. Never before have I so thoroughly enjoyed going to “work” everyday, and never before have I felt the love of our Father so clearly, and so deeply. Mexico is a special, wonderful place, that forces you to take more steps into the unknown with every passing day. It forces you to leave your comfort zone back in Nebraska, and it makes you never want to pick it up ever again.
The Lord calls us to awaken from our slumber, and to live in His glory. To live our lives refusing to stay inside of a comfort zone, to never conform to this world. To not be concerned for our own comfort or safety, and to not live a life that is easy. So I challenge you to shed your comfort zone, to live your life fearlessly pursuing The Lord and His Kingdom, and to never stop serving His people. Jesus never said that it would be easy, comfortable, or safe, but he did say that it would be worth it. And it is.
Con mucho amor,
Katie Rhodes
